The issuance of new license to a supposed "outsider" has hit the onion trade in Lasalgaon's Agricultural Produce Market Committee(APMC) in Nashik with the local traders association boycotting auction of onions since the last five days. On an average, the market sees arrival of 3500-4000 qunitals of onion and absence of trading has resulted on a daily loss of more than Rs 1 crore. Although Nanasaheb Patil, the president of Lasalgaon's APMC, said that he was hopeful of the trade resuming on Monday, apprehensions are now being expressed that onion prices might shoot up in North India if the strike continues. The participation of Mahendra Kamble. a Mumbai-based trader in the auction process last Monday. had angered the Lasalgaon Traders Association (LTA), who halted auction of onions since then. Nanduseth Dhaga, president of LTA said it was the time honoured way that only members of LTA could participate in the trading and an outsider is not allowed. "The APMC might want to go by its law book but across APMC's only members of the traders association are allowed to trade. Sudden change in policy will not be allowed," he said. There are over 227 members of the LTA who trade in the market. On the other hand, Patil said Kamble was issued license well within the parameters of the law and the LTA was wrong in trying to stall the trader. "The APMC is the licensing authority and we have not done anything wrong by issuing license. We have issued notices to the traders that if they fail to resume trading by Saturday we will suspend their licenses," he said. Although the deadline for the traders was Saturday, the market remained closed as traditionally trading is suspended on a New Moon Day (Amavasya). The market will remain closed on Sunday too and the final decision of the traders will be seen on Monday. The iron grip of traders on both the pricing and working of the markets has long been a contentious issue with farmers complaining of unfair means adopted by the traders in the market. Due to political patronage the traders have remained insular and immune. Issuance of license to traders outside the association, insiders say, was one of the methods to break the cartel. Kamble had participated in trading on Monday. Asked about his next move Kamble said he had obtained the license within the legal framework and hoped to continue to participate in the market without causing any controversy. Patil said that they are making arrangements to start the trade on Monday in any circumstances. "Even now in Lasalgaon the trading in onion and cereals has stopped but trading in vegetables is going one. We have asked farmers to take their produce in the Vinchure or Niphad sub markets so that they are not at a loss," he said. He also mentioned that the season of onion is yet to start so the arrival is a bit low at present.
